Morning glory

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Morning glory flower, Ipomoea nil
An unopened spiral bud of a morning glory flower, Ipomoea purpurea
'Blue Star', a cultivar of Ipomoea tricolor photographed in Haverhill, Massachusetts
Morning glory flower (Ipomoea purpurea)

Morning glory (also written as morning-glory[1]) is the common name for over 1,000 species of flowering plants in the family Convolvulaceae, whose current taxonomy and systematics are in flux. Morning glory species belong to many genera, some of which are:

As the name suggests, most morning glory flowers unfurl into full bloom in the early morning. The flowers usually start to fade a few hours before the corolla begins to display visible curling. They prefer full solar exposure throughout the day, and mesic soils. Some morning glories, such as Ipomoea muricata, Ipomoea alba, and Ipomoea macrorhiza, are night-blooming flowers.

History

Ipomoea purpurea in Loganville, Georgia

medicinal uses, due to the laxative
properties of its seeds.

Ancient

Rivea corymbosa
).

Invasive species

In some places, such as Australian bushland, some species of morning glories develop thick roots and tend to grow in dense thickets. They can quickly spread by way of long, creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing, and smothering other plants, morning glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem.[4]

In parts of the US, species such as Calystegia sepium (hedge bindweed), Ipomoea purpurea (common morning glory) and Ipomoea indica (blue morning glory) have shown to be invasive. In fact, as of 2021, most non-native species of Ipomoea are currently illegal to cultivate, possess, and sell in the U.S. state of Arizona, and before 4 January 2020, this ban applied to native species, too. This is because some species of Convolvulaceae (like Convolvulus arvensis and Ipomoea × leucantha) have been known to cause problems in crops, especially in cotton fields.[5][6] Ipomoea aquatica is a federal noxious weed, though some states, like Texas, have acknowledged its status as a vegetable and allow it to be grown.[7][8]

Cultivation

In cultivation, most are treated as

perennial plants in frost-free areas and as annual plants in colder climates, but some species tolerate winter cold. Some species are strictly annual (e.g. Ipomoea nil), producing many seeds, and some perennial species (e.g. I. indica) are propagated by cuttings. Some moonflowers
, which flower at night, are also in the morning glory family.

Because of their fast growth, twining habit, attractive flowers, and tolerance for poor, dry soils, some morning glories are excellent vines for creating summer shade on building walls when trellised, thus keeping the building cooler and reducing heating and cooling costs.

Popular varieties in contemporary western cultivation include

cypress vine, and cardinal climber
. The cypress vine is a hybrid, with the cardinal climber as one parent.

Many morning glories self-seed in the garden. They have a hard seed coat, which delays germination until late spring. Germination may be improved by soaking in warm water.[9]

Morning glory has been a favorite flower in

Edo era (17-19th century).[10] The large-flowered morning glory was broadly cultivated as a hobby flower. The varied Japanese morning glory (変化朝顔 Henka-asagao or mutant morning glory) was created.[10][11]

Culinary uses

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Morning glory seeds, mixed colors

federal noxious weed, and can be illegal to grow, import, possess, or sell without a permit. A market exists, though, for the plant's powerful culinary potential.[8] As of 2005, the state of Texas has acknowledged that water spinach is a highly prized vegetable in many cultures, and has allowed it to be grown for personal consumption, in part because it is known to have been grown in Texas for more than 15 years and has not yet escaped cultivation.[7]

The genus Ipomoea also contains the

tuberous
morning glory" in a horticultural context. Some cultivars of I. batatas are grown for their ornamental value, rather than for the edible tuber.

Chemistry and ethnobotany

The

Turbina corymbosa (syn. R. corymbosa) are used as psychedelics.[12] The seeds of morning glory can produce a similar effect to LSD when taken in large doses, often numbering into the hundreds. Though the chemical LSA is not legal in some countries, the seeds are found in many gardening stores; however, some claim the seeds from commercial sources can sometimes be coated in some kind of pesticide or methylmercury (although the latter is illegal in the UK and the US).[13]

Gallery

References

  1. ^ BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-06-26. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
  2. PMID 10373117
    . Retrieved 25 October 2021 – via science.org (Atypon).
  3. ^ "Rubber processed in ancient Mesoamerica, MIT researchers find". News.mit.edu. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-29. Retrieved 2020-03-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. ^ "Why We Can't Sell Native Morning Glories". Desertsurvivors.org. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  6. ^ "The Curious Case of Arizona's Morning Glories (Ipomoea spp.)" (PDF).
  7. ^ a b "Texas Register - The Portal to Texas History". The Portal to Texas History.
  8. ^ a b "USDA weed factsheet" (PDF). Aphis.usda.gov. Retrieved 25 October 2021.
  9. ^ "How to Grow Morning Glories". wikiHow. Retrieved 2021-10-03.
  10. ^ a b c d "The Japan Magazine A Representative Monthly of Things Japanese vol 7" S. Murayama, Japan magazine Company 1916, p175
  11. ^ くらしの植物苑特別企画「伝統の朝顔」 National Museum of Japanese History.
  12. ^ Vargas, Theresa (2006-05-03). "A '60s Buzz Recycled". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-05-13.
  13. .

Further reading

External links